Shepherd’s End
1015
It was the first time since Ixtalan died that Xalati could remember seeing her father laugh without a shadow of pain or sorrow beneath it, and for that alone she could have loved the minotaur woman. That Oria treated her gravely, asked for her opinions on Xalati’s family, and appeared to actually listen to her answers—that she was rooted in one place, solid, comforting, present —
She could not call her Mama, but when Oria asked her and her brothers if they would approve of her marrying their father, Xalati could and did embrace her, beaming.
The “twins” were a different matter. Ash was welcoming—a little wary at first, her cheer tuned a little too high with her nerves, but friendly enough in an anxious way. Ember sulked about being displaced as the eldest (not counting his sister), aiming snide little remarks at Xalati and Yevhetsek any time they fumbled a chore or were slow on their errands. The only thing that kept Xalati from reacting immediately was that Yev didn’t even pick up on the sarcasm, the jibes treated wholly as sincere remarks of approbation, and Ember never turned his tongue toward Zak.
Still, she had only so much patience. After a frustrating day dealing with a young herd dog who was more minded to chase rabbits than sheep, leaving her to track down one of the more escape-minded sheep herself, she returned with the escapee after dark, tired and dirty. Passing, Ember twitted her about her lateness.
She dropped the sheep (it promptly took off for the hills), folded Ember up despite his yelling and pointy elbows, and dumped him in the well.
(She did make sure to drop the end of the rope down with him. She wanted to soak him, not murder him.)
She got in a lot of trouble for that, but the extra three months’ chores were worth it.
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